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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: court · lash · field · wind · pitcher · branch · dip · safe

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. field — for sport
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. court — of a king
  11. field — a subject
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. court — for sport
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. wind — moving air
  17. court — of law
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. wind — moving air
  23. field — farmland
  24. dip — to sink

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com